Invalid-bed.



PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

J. HALL & H. A. PADDLBFORD. INVALID BED.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903.

INVENTORY L filia /Hal] v M )fidiieJQPadd/efaid 4% B) L Nb. 759,882.PATENTED MAYl'i, 1904. J. HALL & H. A. PADDLEFORD.

INVALID BED.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 26, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHBETB-SHBET 2.

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,the mattress, and covers. tudinal sectional view of a woven-wire bed-UNITED STATES TPatented May 1?, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HALL AND HATTIE AMELIA PA'DDLEFORD, OF NORTH MONROE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

INVALID-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,882, dated May 17,1904.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN HALL and HA'r'rIE AMELIA PADDLEFORD, citizensof the United States, and residents of North Monroe, in the county ofGrafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and constructivedetails for an Invalid-Bed, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The object of our invention is to provide novel details of constructionfor a bed of the character indicated which will permit an invalidoccupying the bed to void excrement, liquid or solid, While in either asitting or reclining posture through the bed-bottom and mattress into asuitable receptacle held beneath the bed in a conveniently-removablemanner, a further object being to enable a bedfast invalid to receivemedical treatment for diseases of the womb and uterus, such as theapplication of do'uches, and also to afford means for bathing the feetand lower limbs without exposure of other portions of the body.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bedstead, a mattress thereon, coverson the mattress, and features of the invention applied upon the bed,

Fig. 2 is a longibottom and a mattress, also of a bed-covering embodyingfeatures of the invention. Fig. 3 is a reduced plan View of abed-covering that embodies a detail of the improvement. Fig. 4C is afragmentary plan view of a wire-woven bed-bottom and of a novelconstructive detail combined therewith.

The bedstead 6 may be of any preferred style, a metal bedstead beingshown in Fig. 1 as a support for the wire-woven spring-bottom 7, that,as usual, is stretched upon and secured at its edges to a rectangularframe 8, that seats on the side and end rails of the bedstead,

Serial No. 149,461. (No model.)

whereby the bottom 7 is disposed horizontally in the ordinary way. At asuitable point, which may be near the center of the bed-bottom, 01', asshown in Fig. 2, be near the upper end of said bed-bottom, a preferablyoval aperture is formed in the woven material 7, said aperture havingits longest diameter disposed longitudinally of the bed-bottom and at aproper distance from the sides of the borderframe 8.

There is a thimble 9 of sheet metal or other available material fittedinto the aperture in the bed-bottom, and is held to depend therethroughby a circumferential platemetal flange 9, which projects from the upperedge of the thimble and seats upon the Wire-woven material 7. Upon thedepending body of the thimble 9 a plate-metal flange 10, similar to theborder-flange 9, is mounted, and the flanges 9 10 are held clamped uponthe bed-bottom material by rivets a or other means.

The mattress 11 for the bed should have area and form sufficient toadapt it to fully cover the wire-woven bed-bottom 7, and at a suitablepoint in the mattress an opening 5 is formed similar in defining contourwith that of the outer edge of the border-flange 9 and is essentiallyequal in size therewith, as is indicated in Fig. 2. In the opening Z) aninflatable tubularring-like cushion 12 is introduced and seats upon theborder-flange 9, the inner diameter of the cushion being preferablyequal with that of the opening through the thimble 9.

Upon the mattress 11 a waterproof sheetlilIe covering 13, of thinfabric, such as gumcloth or oil-cloth, is spread, said cover having anopening in it that will be positioned above the cushion 12 when saidcover is in proper position on the mattress, the opening beingpreferably reinforced by a washer or ring 13 of like material with thecovering 13.

A flap 1 1, of gum-cloth or other liquid-tight fabric, is secured by oneedge upon the under surface of the cover 13, and a portion of said fiapabove the ring-like cushion 12 is numerously perforated, as shown at 0.The flap 14 may be and generally is held stretched over the cushion 12by buttons (Z on the mattress engaging slits in the flap at an adjacentedge of the latter.

Upon the upper side of the waterproof cover 13 another flap 15 issecured by one edge, so that it may be conveniently spread over theperforations in the flap 14, and as the upper flap is not perforated itwill be seen that it virtually becomes a part of the waterproof cover13, and if covered by sheets or other bed furnishings will adapt the bedfor ordinary use.

Preferably there is a down or cotton padded or filled spread 16, usuallytermed a comfortable, provided as a bedspread, to be placed directlyupon the waterproof cover 13 and upper flap 15 and to enable access tobe had to the flap 15 for its displacement from over the perforated flap14, when this is necessary, the comfortable is slitted from the normallower edge toward the top edge, this slit, that is indicated at fin Fig.3, being preferably hemmed at its edge and extends such a length as willpermit of uncovering the perforated flap 14 by folding one of thesections 16 of the comfortable thus provided upwardly, so as to disposeit upon the upper portion of the same, the occupant of the bed at such atime moving toward the opposite side of the bed to permit an attendantto arrange the foldable section of the spread 16, as described.

The improved features of construction for appliances to a bed that havebeen described have a wide range for advantageous service, as theimproved bed will serve effectively as a gynecological couch, beingespecially useful in obstetrical cases or in the treatment of diseasesof the womb or urinary organ requiring the application of liquidmedicaments.

When an invalid occupying the bed has sufficient strength to assume asitting posture, but cannot with safety be removed therefrom, thecovering 16 may be adjusted and the flaps 14 and 15 be removed from overthe ring-like cushion 12, so that the latter may be used as a seat bythe patient to permit evacuation of excrement in a comfortable manner,it being understood that a proper receptacle is supported below thecushion in engagement with the thimble 9, a restoration of the flaps andcomfortable 16 to normal adjustment rendering the bed available forrepose of the patient in a recumbent position. M

When the occupant of the bed is suffering from disease of the bowels orurinary organ that renders the person unable to control desire forevacuations, the patient may then lie upon the waterproof cover 13, withthe flap 14 secured in place over the cushion-ring 12. This arrangementof the novel bed furniture will prevent soiling of the mattress, andliquid evacuation in cases of urinary incontinence, dysentery, or thelike will pass down through the perforations 0 in the flap 14, that willbe dished over the cushion-ring 12 by the imposed weight of theposterior of the patient.

The feet and lower limbs of an invalid occupant of the bed may be givena bath by removal of the covers 14 15 16, so as to afford convenientaccess to a vessel containing washwater and supported upon thespring-pressed frame before described, and it will of course beunderstood that the bed furnishings may be replaced in normal positionsfor accommodation of the invalid when the bath has been completed; also,that the vessel containing wash-water or evacuations of the body may bereadily removed from beneath the bed by depression of the upper frame,so as to release the vessel, and a subsequent outward sliding movementof the two connected frames that form the yielding support of the vesselor receptacle.

Slight changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of minordetails of the invention without exceeding its legitimate scope. Hencewe do not wish to limit the same to the precise construction of partsherein shown, but claim the right to vary therefrom within the intentofthe claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a bed-bottom andmattress having registering openings, of a waterproof spread having anopening positioned above the opening. in the mattress, said spread alsohaving an upper and a lower lapping portion secured thereto near itscenter, and adapted to extend respectively over and under said opening,the lower lapping portion having slits at its free end to engage buttonson the mattress, and having its portion immediately underneath theopening in the spread perforated, the upper lapping portion beingadapted to be spread over said opening when it is desired to entirelycover the same.

2. The combination with a supported bedbottom having an aperturetherein, a thimble pendent in the aperture, two flanges engaging thethimble and bed-bottom adapted to secure the thimble thereto, anapertured mattress on the bed-bottom its aperture being over thethimble, of a waterproof sheet-like cover on the mattress having anopening therein, a Waterproof flap on the lower side of the waterproofcover, having perforations over the thimble, and a non-perforatewaterproof flap on the upper side of the waterproof cover closing theaperture therein, said perforated flap extending beyond the opening inthe mattress, and means for securing the free end of the flap, havingperforations, to the mattress.

3. The combination with a bed-bottom and mattress having registeringopenings, of a waterproof spread having an opening positioned above theopening in the mattress, said spread tirely close the same;

In testimony whereof we have signed our 1 names to thls specification 1nthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HALL. HATTIE AMELIA PADDLEFORD.

Vitnesses:

J. W. PEABODY, JAMEs G. PEABODY.

